I’ve been paying attention to these lists for a few months now and have noticed some trends among the top pins. So, I decided to look back on a sample of pictures (11 weeks’ worth, or 110 top pins), categorize each photograph, and observe and note any trends. At the end of it, my hope was to get a better sense of what seems to gain traction on this social media platform.

Of course, this study was by no means scientific, but I think the findings are interesting none-the-less:

30 of the pins were of food, by far the greatest percentage of any category

Of the ‘food’ pins, essentially all were macro photographs, so if you’re shooting food, get in there, get close, and maximize your odds of having it repined. Also, many of the food shots were of creatively crafted food items (see the edible teacup below).

13 of the pins were visual tutorials, mainly of DIY projects

Most of the quick visual tutorials listed were of art or craft-based projects that were also easy to visually describe in a single shot. They tended to offer creative solutions to common every-day problems (see the solution for where to drill screw holes below).

12 of the pins were of interior design, most of which depicted unique design solutions

Interior design photographs are a dime a dozen. It looks like the key to having an interior design shot re-pinned is to showcase incredibly unique interior design solutions, such as this office and chill-out space that is contained in a closet.

12 of the pins were of beautiful scenery, streetscapes, or travel destinations

These kinds of shots can be striking on their own, but most of the location shots that made a weekly top 10 list were super-saturated. Additionally, many of the shots demonstrate near perfect symmetry. Super-saturate a symmetrical photograph to increase the chance of having it re-pinned.

12 of the pins were of tech or gadgets

People love tech, gadgets, and technological concept artwork. People also love Apple, which was evidenced by the fact that half of these pins were of Apple products. Pinning tech concept artwork for an Apple gadget seems to be the golden ticket of tech or gadget pins (see the iPhone projector below).

8 of the pins were of pets

Dogs are man’s best friend; and apparently so are cats and fish. Incredibly cute dog and cat photos seem to get the most re-pins, and upping the ante of cuteness with a baby being cuddled by a dog will further solidify your picture’s chances of being re-pinned.

Additional Findings

While working through the categorization of these pictures, I noticed a pattern that many pictures were mash-ups or very creative. While a picture of pet fish might be a good pin, fish in an aquarium that looks like a television is better. When a picture of a cupcake might be a good pin, a picture of cupcakes designed to look like high-end designer handbags is better.

Also noteworthy is that virtually all of the pins I reviewed were high-quality photographs. If you’re snapping or selecting shots to pin, make sure they are visually appealing and high-quality images.

What types of content have you had success pinning on your Pinterest boards? Have you noticed any trends regarding what types of shots tend to perform well on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments.